would your rather work longer hours for more money or fewer for less?

Pobby

Good thread this. Lots of good points. In some way I wonder just how much you need in retirement. ukcarper seems to hint of an income, less mortgage, of maybe £800 and seems happy. There was a thread on the pension boards called " Whats your number ?" Folk estimated what they would need to live on in retirement. It made interesting reading. I still have not quite got my number.

I do know that when we had a post tax income, about 5 years ago, of about £32k a year I guess a good £15k was being stashed away also a nice holiday abroad and eating out a fair bit. So I guess as a couple in to days money £17k would do it well.

Anyway just off to shake my tin at Morrisons. Mug a few shoppers for " charidee ".

lostinrates

I suppose also there is some sort of political ideal here.

I'm surprised, for example, the posters who vote ''to the left'' would not see the time they could spend in work, paying tax, up o normal full time hours as any different to earning obscene wages....its all a potentially unfair distribution....

LydiaJ

As many of you know, I do two part time jobs.

Job A is teaching. I do 45% of full time and get 45% of a salary.
Job B is at my church, part pastoral and part admin. I do 20% of full time and get 20% of a salary.

Job A pays at about twice the rate of job B, but I enjoy them both in their different ways and don't want to give up either of them. I also get an NHS widow's pension of about £8k pa and various tax credits, widowed parent's benefit etc. All these pieces add up to enough to support me in what I consider to be a reasonably comfortable lifestyle - or at least they will once I have spent the life insurance on a house and can stop paying vast amounts on rent.

I wouldn't want to earn much less, and I really couldn't cope with working much more - my kids are both primary school age, and since late-nearly-ex died, I don't get alternate weekends on my own any more.

sss555s

Great thread and i'm of the mindset and similar situation of pennywise

I think in the same way as they do.

marklv

ninky wrote: »

assuming you are in employment, what would increase your quality of life more? a pay increase for longer hours, or an hour cut with pro rata pay cut?

also, taking into account commute time how long is your average working week. mine's 52 hours.

I leave the house at 7.45am and come back at 7pm. It's a long enough day.

I would like a pay increase but shorter hours! :rotfl:

treliac

marklv wrote: »

I would like a pay increase but shorter hours! :rotfl:

Now that's where I fit on this discussion..... some chance of that happening though.

marklv

How about 'working from home'? I love that term! The trouble is that while the cat's away the mice will play - human nature.

lostinrates

marklv wrote: »

How about 'working from home'? I love that term!

It really bugs me that dh can't work from home more, especially s they do expect him to work on days off weekends at home...so why not the odd Monday or friday too. I think its fairy important to have days with your team, but really, say....24 flex days a year wouldn't be too hideous would it?

marklv

lostinrates wrote: »

It really bugs me that dh can't work from home more, especially s they do expect him to work on days off weekends at home...so why not the odd Monday or friday too. I think its fairy important to have days with your team, but really, say....24 flex days a year wouldn't be too hideous would it?

In IT, where I work, lots of people work from home, depending on the employer. One day week should certainly be the norm, maybe two days - it would do no harm and help a lot of people.

In the USA teleworking is commonplace, but Britain is still a society living in the stone age in many ways. The technology is here already: remote access to your desktop, network drives, Sharepoint, etc. And also video conferencing through your PC. It's all possible, but we have a micromanagement culture in the UK - attitudes die hard.

treliac

marklv wrote: »

How about 'working from home'? I love that term! The trouble is that while the cat's away the mice will play - human nature.

I'm sure it is for some - it's not easy to monitor.

However, some of us are conscientious. I work mainly from home. I probably work even more hours this way, often working late into the evening and on days off.